Adolescents’ educational aspirations and expectations: the interaction between school experiences, region, and financial disadvantage

O’Donnell, AW; Redmond, G; Zhou, H; Skattebol, J; Wang, JJJ; Reynolds, KJ; MacDougall, C

Adolescents’ educational aspirations and expectations: the interaction between school experiences, region, and financial disadvantage

O’Donnell, AW Redmond, G Zhou, H Skattebol, J Wang, JJJ Reynolds, KJ MacDougall, C

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Publisher:: Springer Nature
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Social Psychology of Education, 2025, 28, (1), pp. 180
Issue Date:: 2025-12-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	O’Donnell, AW
dc.contributor.author	Redmond, G
dc.contributor.author	Zhou, H
dc.contributor.author	Skattebol, J
dc.contributor.author	Wang, JJJ
dc.contributor.author	Reynolds, KJ
dc.contributor.author	MacDougall, C
dc.date.accessioned	2026-02-26T01:06:53Z
dc.date.available	2026-02-26T01:06:53Z
dc.date.issued	2025-12-01
dc.identifier.citation	Social Psychology of Education, 2025, 28, (1), pp. 180
dc.identifier.issn	1381-2890
dc.identifier.issn	1573-1928
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/193703
dc.description.abstract	Adolescents residing in regional areas, and those from more financially disadvantaged families, traditionally have worse academic outcomes relative to their counterparts in metropolitan communities. A key mechanism that may account for these differences is how far individuals would like to progress in the educational system (aspirations) and how far they actually think they will progress (expectations). These plans are shaped by social background and schooling experiences, which can either reduce or amplify educational inequalities. Using two large Australian samples, we found that adolescents from metropolitan and financially advantaged families reported higher aspirations (Study 1, N = 3,896) and expectations (Study 2, N = 3,956) than their regional and more disadvantaged peers. In both studies, the school environment moderated the effects of family financial background on educational plans. School satisfaction (Study 1) and belonging (Study 2) amplified socioeconomic disparities, with gaps in educational future plans widening among students who felt more positive about school. These findings suggest that positive school environments may also inadvertently reinforce structural inequalities when broader barriers remain unaddressed.
dc.language	en
dc.publisher	Springer Nature
dc.relation	http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP190100247
dc.relation.ispartof	Social Psychology of Education
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1007/s11218-025-10099-5
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject	13 Education, 16 Studies in Human Society, 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences
dc.subject.classification	Education
dc.subject.classification	39 Education
dc.subject.classification	44 Human society
dc.subject.classification	52 Psychology
dc.title	Adolescents’ educational aspirations and expectations: the interaction between school experiences, region, and financial disadvantage
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	28
utslib.for	13 Education
utslib.for	16 Studies in Human Society
utslib.for	17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science/School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
dc.rights.license	This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.date.updated	2026-02-26T01:06:43Z
pubs.issue	1
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	28
utslib.citation.issue	1

Abstract:

Adolescents residing in regional areas, and those from more financially disadvantaged families, traditionally have worse academic outcomes relative to their counterparts in metropolitan communities. A key mechanism that may account for these differences is how far individuals would like to progress in the educational system (aspirations) and how far they actually think they will progress (expectations). These plans are shaped by social background and schooling experiences, which can either reduce or amplify educational inequalities. Using two large Australian samples, we found that adolescents from metropolitan and financially advantaged families reported higher aspirations (Study 1, N = 3,896) and expectations (Study 2, N = 3,956) than their regional and more disadvantaged peers. In both studies, the school environment moderated the effects of family financial background on educational plans. School satisfaction (Study 1) and belonging (Study 2) amplified socioeconomic disparities, with gaps in educational future plans widening among students who felt more positive about school. These findings suggest that positive school environments may also inadvertently reinforce structural inequalities when broader barriers remain unaddressed.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/193703